Dismissing the allegations that Punjab was one of the states responsible for the failure of the Northern Grid as baseless, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chief managing director KD Chaudhary on Tuesday said Punjab had drawn power as per schedule and within limits of the
transmission capacity allowed to the state.
Talking to HT, Chaudhary dismissed the allegations levelled by Delhi, which said that overdrawal by Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh had caused the grid's collapse. "PSPCL never did anything which put the grid in danger. We adhere to the guidelines of the Northern Region Load Dispatch Centre (NRLDC)," said Chaudhary.
When told that Punjab had repeatedly overdrawn power in the past, Chaudhary said, "We overdraw power when the frequency remains above 49.7 Hz and when there is sufficient power in the grid. Punjab has overdrawn by 200 MW on an average, which is safe and doesn't put the grid in danger.
The other states, which are drawing more than 500 MW above the sanctioned load, are actually putting pressure on the grid and may have led to its failure. No one can blame Punjab, as we have bought power worth Rs. 7,000 crore this year to meet the demand."
He said Punjab for long had been demanding that NRLDC must increase the out limit of drawl from 5,400 MW to 6,000 MW as the demand had increased in the state. "Even I personally raised the matter at a meeting with higher officials of the Northern Grid and also submitted a proposal in the first week of July, but till date no one has granted us the additional capacity to draw power," he said.